Hey Love Designshttp://www.heylovedesigns.com
Live creatively.Wed, 29 Jul 2015 05:29:06 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3In California, Where’s It’s Summer All the Time!http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/07/28/see-summer-better/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/07/28/see-summer-better/#respondWed, 29 Jul 2015 05:29:06 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3269Hi Friends! A few weeks ago I was at a photo shoot for work and we were finding ways to get my coworker’s daughter to smile. M said “Hey, A. Remember the phrase? ‘We live in California now, where it’s…” and A responded “summer allll the time!” with a big fat grin on her face. […]

A few weeks ago I was at a photo shoot for work and we were finding ways to get my coworker’s daughter to smile. M said “Hey, A. Remember the phrase? ‘We live in California now, where it’s…” and A responded “summer allll the time!” with a big fat grin on her face.

That’s exactly how it’s felt since I moved here late last year. In the winter it felt like summer. In the spring it felt like summer. Now that it’s actually summer I feel like I’ve just gone balls to the wall full on summer craziness. I love being outside and I won’t ever shut up about how close I live to the beach. (For the record, it’s a 2.2 mile drive.)

A few of my friends have even commented on my Facebook and Instagram about how it seems like I’m just having all sorts of fun and that my “California life looks awesome!” I thought it would be cool to capture some of the fun things I’ve been doing but believe me, many nights after work I have melted onto the couch and a lot of the fun excursions were a result of having visitors in town (squee!).

Then Warby Parker asked me to share how I’m spending my summer with their “See Summer Better” campaign and all the stars aligned for me to come out of my little blogging hiatus. Thankfully I love WP and the fact they give back, and thought it would be fun to pair what sunglasses I think would go best with each moment!

The number one thing I’ve been doing this summer is getting back into stand up paddleboarding! I’ve been a SUP enthusiast for a few years now but back home there were a lot of limitations. There weren’t many places to paddle if you didn’t own your own board and you could only go a few months out of the year. In Los Angeles, you can paddle all the time, and ever since I dipped my toes into the marina, I’ve gone almost every week!

I chose Warby Parker’s Banks design for this summer activity because it’s just so rad. When I think of summer stoke, these sunnies are it. The Sea Smoke Tortoise color makes me feel wild.

For rooftop parties – and pounding grape – I want to be extra stylin’ so I picked out the Ellison shades. I wouldn’t normally consider this style of frames, but there’s something about Ellison that feels tres chic.

For drinks out with the girls – like at my all time favorite happy hour spot, Playa Provisions – I’d pick out a feminine pair of glasses. I think Piper in jet black should do the trick. I actually do own Piper, but in striped brandy!

And lastly, I’ve been enjoying having Nico here with me in California. It’s not always feasible to include him in my fun plans – he actually is quite a handful when we’re out – but I love the time we spend together. For picnicking with my pup, I’m going with a classic – aviators, like these Crossfield shades.

I hope this post motivates you to check out Warby Parker. They have a robust online site where you can shop their many styles. They’ve got regular eyeglasses and sunglasses – some of which can be made into prescription sunnies! Can’t tell which ones will look right on your face? They offer a free at-home try-on program where you can pick 5 of your favorite frames. I’ve done this 3 times now and have even turned to social media to see which pair looks best on me. They even have brick and mortar retail shops in some locations.

How have you been enjoying summertime? What’s your favorite thing to do?

Note: This post was sponsored by Warby Parker, however I was not compensated for my opinion. I just love them! I already own two pairs of eyeglasses and a pair of prescription sunglasses. I was more than willing to help promote their #SeeSummerBetter campaign because I believe in their quality products and values.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/07/28/see-summer-better/feed/0Neon Succulent Potshttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/05/04/neon-succulent-pots/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/05/04/neon-succulent-pots/#commentsMon, 04 May 2015 20:49:43 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3229Hi, Friends! This weekend I spent the weekend down in San Diego with my long time friend and family pal, V. We decided to do crafts, but we weren’t sure what exactly. We just wanted to make things!! Does anyone ever feel that way? Haha. “Make all the things!” I had to stop Home Depot for […]

This weekend I spent the weekend down in San Diego with my long time friend and family pal, V. We decided to do crafts, but we weren’t sure what exactly. We just wanted to make things!! Does anyone ever feel that way? Haha. “Make all the things!”

I had to stop Home Depot for a quick errand and we happened to pass by their nursery. All of a sudden it hit me – succulents!

Ever since I moved to California, I’ve been wanting to buy a succulent plant. They’re so cute and small, and apparently hard to kill. It’s no secret that I have a black thumb. Taking care of plants was not a trait that I inherited from my mother. She has the best backyard.

The only thing that stopped me from buying succulents sooner in the 5 months I’ve been in California was the question: what do I put them in? I’m not one to just buy a pot. You know I’m all about DIYing the crap out of anything I can. So when we walked through Home Depot and saw all the amazing variety of succulents, I was all of a sudden motivated to get this project started. V and I picked out the prettiest ones, then when we went to Michael’s, we grabbed terra cotta pots to paint.

A few of V’s friends came over and it turned into a crafting party! Sorry for the rough iPhone photos – I would have busted out my normal camera and styling props if I had them with me.

Trying to figure out how exactly I wanted to paint my pot was tough – there are so many great ideas. How do you decide what to do? I’ve been digging the neon dip dye trend lately thanks to Pinterest and some trend searching for work. I decided to go with a basic pot that looks like it’s dipped in neon. Everyone else loved playing with neon paints as well.

I painted the base white and to achieve the “dipped” look, I drew a rough line of neon pink paint with a foam brush, and then painted several layers (let it dry between coats!) until I got the perfect pink pop.

Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t have a green thumb so I’ll tell you how we potted each plant, but I can’t say it’s the right way. Because we didn’t buy extra soil, we filled the bottom of the pots with marbles, then broke up the soil that came with each succulent. For a pop of color, I recalled seeing a fun idea from Pinterest – hot pink aquarium gravel! I’m not kidding. It added the pop that my pot was missing.

I love how my pot turned out. Isn’t this gorgeous? I’m OBSESSED. I just want to make a million of these. I have tons of hot pink rocks now, so I actually may! I’m talking to a friend about hosting a larger craft night to make these. How fun would that be?

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/05/04/neon-succulent-pots/feed/4Hey Love Designs is FIVE! Plus a Giveaway!http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/27/birthday-giveaway/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/27/birthday-giveaway/#commentsMon, 27 Apr 2015 04:28:48 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3223THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. Thank you to everyone who entered! You GUYS! I can’t believe that it’s been five years since my family and friends encouraged me to share my talents with the world and start Hey Love Designs. It began as a way to stay creative in such a boring and mindless job. It […]

I can’t believe that it’s been five years since my family and friends encouraged me to share my talents with the world and start Hey Love Designs. It began as a way to stay creative in such a boring and mindless job. It started with baking cupcakes and designing invitations to now calligraphy and blogging. It’s amazing to see where this company has gone over the years. It’s constantly evolving!

Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way whether you cheered me on, gave me advice, or even just clicked “like” on any social posts.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/27/birthday-giveaway/feed/3Get Crafty! Painted TOMShttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/15/painted-toms/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/15/painted-toms/#commentsWed, 15 Apr 2015 15:06:33 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3216Hi Friends! I just returned from my first Coachella! It was definitely insanely fun but I can’t tell you how much I was stressing about what to wear! It’s intimidating as I’m not at all fashionable (I’m more of a “comfy casual with pops of color” gal). But more important that what outfits to wear were what […]

I just returned from my first Coachella! It was definitely insanely fun but I can’t tell you how much I was stressing about what to wear! It’s intimidating as I’m not at all fashionable (I’m more of a “comfy casual with pops of color” gal). But more important that what outfits to wear were what shoes to wear. I knew I was going to be on my feet for basically an entire day (work in the morning, play the rest of the day) for three days and you’re in a sandy and dirty dessert, so flip flops, sandals, and anything that couldn’t be washed were out. I could wear sneakers but does that match the snazzy outfits I had planned out?

I decided to go with TOMS. I absolutely love my TOMS and have been looking for an excuse to buy another pair. I love supporting companies that give back! But I tend to enjoy the fun prints. Knowing I was short on time, I decided instead of running all over town to find the right pattern, I was going to buy a pair of solid classics and paint them!

I decided I wanted to paint polka dots (not really “Coachella” but whatever) so I used an old etching tool that I had, but you can use anything small that will create a dot – a nail, bobby pin, toothpick, etc. For fun I also wanted to add hearts on the back of each shoe, so I used my heart punch to create a stencil with some card stock.

Whatever you decide to do, be sure to let your shoes dry for a full day after painting. If you want even more protection, you can spray the shoes down with Scotchgard after drying (then let it dry some more).

Have you ever gotten expressive with your shoes? Back in the day I’d paint my Keds and I had friends who drew on their Converse shoes.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/15/painted-toms/feed/2Ombre Elephant Shadowbox Framehttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/05/ombre-elephant-shadowbox-frame/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/05/ombre-elephant-shadowbox-frame/#commentsMon, 06 Apr 2015 02:57:43 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3205Hi Friends! I’m back into my DIY mojo so I have a few tutorials to share with you! Today it’s a gift that I made specifically for my friend, but I think this would make a great gift for anyone – even yourself! You can customize it to fit different personalities. My friend V loves […]

I’m back into my DIY mojo so I have a few tutorials to share with you! Today it’s a gift that I made specifically for my friend, but I think this would make a great gift for anyone – even yourself! You can customize it to fit different personalities.

My friend V loves elephants so I knew that would be the focal point to her gift. She also loves cutesy stuff – we joke she is basically a 12 year old girl – so I also took that into consideration. I decided to make an elephant art piece in a shadowbox. More V influence – flashes of teal and ombre. This project is super easy to make and takes about thirty minutes.

001. Remove the back board of the frame and cut your background paper to match.

002. If you want to achieve the ombre look for your punch pieces, you’ll need 3 different colors of paper that closely resemble each other. At Michael’s, they have the scrapbook paper lined up by color and shade. You could also use paint chip samples from your home improvement store (Do people just take a ton of paint chips for DIY projects? Haha!).

For my project I wanted to do 3 rows and 3 columns (9 elefantes) so I used the punch 3 times on 3 different colors to get the ombre effect. A note about this punch: it punches out the ear for you, so if you want the ears to stick out, you’ll have to flip your paper over (it’s textured on the front so the ears pop out on the correct side.

003. Arrange the cut out pieces on your background paper so they are evenly spaced apart. This is a bit tedious, so having a ruler hand helps a lot!

004. Once you have the cut out pieces where you want them, it’s time to adhere them to your paper! To make the elephants “pop,” I chose foam adhesive squares.

005. Trying to get the elephants to stay evenly spaced while adding on the adhesive was probably the most frustrating part of the project, but the results ended up fantastic and exactly the way I pictured it. Once you’re done, pop the sheet into the frame, put the back board back on, and you’re good to go.

And that’s it! I’m so happy with how this turned out and I’m glad that my friend loved it! I think the heart background was the perfect complement to the elephants.

Will you make an ombre shadowbox frame? What shape will you use? I bet this would look great with hearts, too!

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/04/05/ombre-elephant-shadowbox-frame/feed/6Meme & Pearl Giveaway! Win a Handmade Doll that Gives to CASAhttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/23/meme-pearl-giveaway/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/23/meme-pearl-giveaway/#commentsMon, 23 Mar 2015 06:16:19 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3187 *** THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES *** Hi Friends! I’m cooking up a FUN giveaway for Hey Love Designs’ 5th birthday next month! While I’m working on this behind the scenes, I wanted to give you something to hold you over. Another giveaway! I’m really excited about this one. My […]

I’m cooking up a FUN giveaway for Hey Love Designs’ 5th birthday next month! While I’m working on this behind the scenes, I wanted to give you something to hold you over. Another giveaway! I’m really excited about this one.

My current job has exposed me to so many companies that give back. The whole “one for one” model is great because not only do these companies have ultra cool products, but you’ve helped someone in need simply by shopping! It’s a simple way to give back and feel good about yourself. I fully support companies that follow this model. We can change the world together!

I was recently introduced to Meme & Pearl who asked to host a giveaway on my blog. I love everything about how Meme & Pearl was started and how they give back. I’ll let Missy, the owner of Meme & Pearl, take it from here:

I got started making dolls because my when my son was a baby, I couldn’t find any boy dolls for him. I wanted to make a friend for him that he could snuggle. It is also very hard to find dolls in our hometown that are not Caucasian. I hope that people feel like they can find a doll that fits their child perfectly.

I love making each doll unique. I have probably made a thousand dolls and no two have ever been the same. I really can’t think of anything in the world I would rather do for a job.

CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a wonderful organization who partners children with adults who are willing to advocate for them. The children in the program are currently going through the court systems for some reason or another. The volunteers dedicate so much time and love to these kids. Testifying in court is incredibly scary. Hopefully my dolls can provide some comfort to these amazing kids in their time of need. Everyone can use a friend that is always there for you.

Missy has been gracious enough to offer a doll to give away! I know you will love these cute dolls to snuggle and they make great gifts!

We’re going to make this super easy to comment. For up to 5 entries, you may do the following:

Leave a comment telling us who you would give this unique doll.

Follow Meme & Pearl on Facebook and leave a comment saying that you did so.

Follow Meme & Pearl on Instagram and leave a comment saying that you did so.

Follow Meme & Pearl on Pinterest and leave a comment saying that you did so.

Follow Hey Love Designs on Facebook and leave a comment saying that you did so.

Bonus karma (not an additional entry) let Missy know you followed her and say hi!

I will randomly pick a comment using a random number generator and announce the winner on Friday, March 27. Good luck!

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/23/meme-pearl-giveaway/feed/5iPhone Burst Mode is My Best Friendhttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/03/iphone-burst-mode/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/03/iphone-burst-mode/#commentsTue, 03 Mar 2015 05:32:09 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3174Hi Friends! So one of the fun things about Los Angeles is that there is awesome art everywhere. There are walls covered in murals. Some are a little nuts for my taste, but my favorites are the ones that are full of color and make great backdrops. And somehow I’ve made a habit of jumping in […]

So one of the fun things about Los Angeles is that there is awesome art everywhere. There are walls covered in murals. Some are a little nuts for my taste, but my favorites are the ones that are full of color and make great backdrops. And somehow I’ve made a habit of jumping in front of them.

Arts District – Traction Ave.

Abbot Kinney Blvd & San Juan Ave

Jumping photos aren’t a new thing. I’ve been doing this for years. But in years past, I’ve had to rely on whoever was taking the photo to expertly catch me and my friends at the right time. This is tough because you can’t really ask a stranger to spend more than a couple minutes taking a billion photos trying to time the jumps correctly. Just asking them to take one photo sometimes feels like a burden!

Then I learned late last year that my iPhone had a “burst mode” setting. Basically, like an actual camera on continuous shooting mode, you hold down the camera shutter button (the big white circle on your screen) and it will take multiple shots in a row. iPhone will then pick what it thinks is the best photo, but you are allowed to select your favorites.

This is what it looks like after you take the photo. I guess iPhone thinks my “on the ground” photo was the best one, haha. Click “Select” to look at all of the photos from the burst.

Preview all the photos from the burst, and then select the ones you want to keep. It’s fun being able to scroll through each photo. It’s like a stop motion animation!

If all you care about is just getting the best shot, choose “Keep Only…” and it will save the ones you choose to your Camera Roll. If you want to save all the photos to do a cool project, choose “Keep Everything” and it will save each photo individually to your Camera Roll. If you just want to keep all the burst photos in one place, choose Cancel.

If you’re wondering what “cool project” I referenced, I learned how to make a GIF! If you have Google+ and upload a bunch of photos that look alike (in this instance, your chosen burst photos), then it will do some magic and turn it into a GIF thanks to Auto-Awesome!

So there you have it! If you want to capture action shots, then Burst mode is your best friend. Depending on how fast your subject is moving, the photos may be blurry, but it’s definitely cool to make sure you catch the right moment. Just make sure you have lots of space on your phone, or delete often.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/03/03/iphone-burst-mode/feed/1Making Things Happenhttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/21/making-things-happen/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/21/making-things-happen/#commentsSun, 22 Feb 2015 01:18:55 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3168Hi Friends! I apologize in advance for the novel but I wanted to be able to tell my story of how I ended up in California. If you want the TL:DR version: I stopped complaining about my life and I did something about it. You can, too. Now for the long version: For most of […]

I apologize in advance for the novel but I wanted to be able to tell my story of how I ended up in California. If you want the TL:DR version: I stopped complaining about my life and I did something about it. You can, too.

Now for the long version:

For most of 2013 and 2014 I felt like I was in a slump. I did not admit this to many people, but I felt really unhappy in my life. It seemed as if everyone was moving forward whether it was their career, relationships, new adventures, etc. I felt like I was just wading in one place. I kept busy doing fun things to keep life interesting, but in terms of going places, I was, figuratively, going nowhere.

I also felt like I sort of lost myself. I had just been freed of a relationship that was wearing me down and I hated that this person somehow made me forget who I am. Sometime in this crappy relationship, Awesome Michelle went away, and after it ended, it felt like she never fully returned. I was also nearing 10 years of being in basically the same job with no career advancement and feeling like I was never going to get out. And so began the next year and a half of just feeling lost.

Early in 2014, I was given the opportunity to leave this job and break into marketing and events. Finally! My big break! It was a scary leap that paved the way for more crazy decisions in my life that year. The excitement did not last long: it didn’t quite end up being the job I was hired for and a lot of other factors continued to add to my unhappiness, so I left in July. I was determined to find whatever it was that would make me happy.

Crazy decision #2: quit a job without another one lined up. I don’t recommend it. I don’t regret taking that job, as it took me out of my comfort zone, but it took a chunk of my savings account to get by. I try to learn from every experience in life and know that things happen for a reason.

I spent a month feeling released and free of frustration and stress and attempted freelancing. During this time, my friend E convinced me to move to San Diego with her. I’ve been asked to move before – my best sister-cuzzy, V tried to get me to go with her 6 years ago – but this time was different. I was in a place in my life where I wasn’t tied down to my job and I was free to go anywhere I want. I’ve never lived anywhere else in my life. Now is a great time to try living somewhere new! The plan was to move in November so I could spend Thanksgiving with my family before leaving so I took a temp job to hold me over.

The temp job was for a large corporation working for their community relations team. Working with the company to do good in the world was what I felt I was missing in my career. It felt great knowing that I was helping others without expecting anything in return. During my time with this company, I knew that I wanted my next job to have an element of corporate responsibility and I knew that I wanted to have a job that I could actually make an impact. I wanted my work to impact the outcome of the company. I wanted a hand in decision making and know that my hard work makes a difference.

Also during my time with this company, I knew that I couldn’t just pick up and move to another state without a job, so I decided to give myself three months California in search of a job. I’d stay with V and job hunt, and if things don’t work out, well at least I got to spend winter away in a place with gorgeous weather because I hate snow in Virginia. Once the temp job ended, I said goodbye to my favorite people, my dog (yes, I bawled my eyeballs out), I packed up my car and headed west, and my parents joined me for my trip.

I found myself in San Diego in December. I can’t believe that I spent 4 days driving across the country with my life packed into my car. I spoke with recruiters but thanks to a friend connection, I found myself talking to a startup based in Los Angeles. I never even considered moving to LA because on my last visit there, I thought it was disgusting. Smog, traffic, glitzy. But there was something about this job that seemed just right. It was in the Southbay area, which means the area had a beachy and more laid back feel. The job was working for a company that has brilliant designs and gives back with every purchase. The position was managing their social media as well as contributing to the success of the company. I joked about this being my dream job, but it was true. It had everything I wanted. A small company full of bright people doing good and getting to be the voice of the brand. I never worked so hard to get a job, and I couldn’t believe it when I was hired.

I did it. I got the job that I wanted within my first month of landing in California, and now I’m living in Los Angeles, only a few minutes from the sea. I can’t say that I’m “back to my old self” but I am definitely happier. Plus, how can you be sad when the sun is always shining and you can have lunch outside in February?

I feel like after such a bad 2014, 2015 is my year. I went through so much stress, heartache, frustration, tears, and sadness and I finally feel like I am myself again. But it’s like the new and improved Michelle. I’ll never be quite the same person, but I’m excited to see where this adventure will take me.

But all of this didn’t just fall in my lap. I took action. I made this happen. Instead of sitting at home sulking about my sad life, I got off my ass and I made a change for myself. I’m not saying everyone needs to drive across the country with no job (BTW, that’s Crazy Decision #3), but if I can do something as crazy as that to make a difference, anyone can make a tiny change to improve their happiness.

Of course, there were many people that helped me along the way. I didn’t do this alone! First and foremost, I couldn’t have done this without the help of my parents. I hate asking for help and they assured me that you can never be too proud to accept it from others. And despite all of the crazy decisions I’ve made in my life, they’ve always understood that I march to the beat of my own drum. Thank you to V, who helped make this trip more real by giving me advice based on her own cross country move and giving me a place to stay. And my friends and family! I’ve gotten mixed responses when I told them I was leaving, but they’ve been so supportive of my decision. I hate that I’m not near them anymore but we remain close. Thank goodness for phones and internet!

If you made it through this novel, thank you, too. Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey. When a friend asked me to write about my cross country trip, I never realized that this was two years in the making. The actual decision to move was pretty quick, but I think all of the frustrations I’ve dealt with the year before is what led me to this decision.

I hope, if anything, this post inspires you to make things happen. We are in charge of our own lives and we have the power to make it better.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/21/making-things-happen/feed/12Free Printable – Got a Lot of Starbucks Lovers Watercolor Calligraphyhttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/17/starbucks-lovers/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/17/starbucks-lovers/#commentsTue, 17 Feb 2015 05:05:56 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3150Hi Friends! If you’re anything like me (and most of the world), you can’t help but find yourself bopping along to Taylor Swift’s latest album, 1989. In fact, you probably know all the words. And you feel like you’ve given in. You’ve given into The Swift. You’re probably also like most people and can swear up and […]

If you’re anything like me (and most of the world), you can’t help but find yourself bopping along to Taylor Swift’s latest album, 1989. In fact, you probably know all the words. And you feel like you’ve given in. You’ve given into The Swift.

In honor of this popular misheard lyric, and while practicing my watercolor calligraphy, I thought I’d play with the lyric. I have a tendency to write funny things when practicing calligraphy. Somehow it’s better than when I attempt to write meaningful and serious phrases. What can I say? I’m just not a serious person!

So go ahead and sing this wrong lyric to the world. We’ll be singing right along with you.

You can print this PDF onto an 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet of paper and frame it, print it on card stock and affix to your wall with washi tape, or you can take the PNG and share it online – it’s in a perfect Instagram square. I’m happy to share the love.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/17/starbucks-lovers/feed/2Free Galentine’s Day Cards Printablehttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/12/free-galentines-day-cards-printable/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/12/free-galentines-day-cards-printable/#respondThu, 12 Feb 2015 17:19:55 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3144Hi Friends! For years, I’ve enjoyed celebrating Valentine’s Day treating myself to a day of pampering (or a shopping spree!) and celebrating my best gal pals. In fact, I think I have more fun doing Valentine’s Day with friends rather than boyfriends. I’m a believer that even though it’s just one day and yes, we […]

For years, I’ve enjoyed celebrating Valentine’s Day treating myself to a day of pampering (or a shopping spree!) and celebrating my best gal pals. In fact, I think I have more fun doing Valentine’s Day with friends rather than boyfriends. I’m a believer that even though it’s just one day and yes, we should show love every day of the year, what’s the harm in getting together another night to do it?

Leslie’s enthusiasm makes me even more excited for Valentine’s because I love her take on it. There’s no need to be sad about being single or cynical that it’s some Hallmark holiday. I love love and for someone seems eternally single, I still remain upbeat about the holiday because I turned it into something I can relate to whether I’m single or taken.

Let’s celebrate girlfriends. Because no matter who comes and goes in your life, it’s important to appreciate those who choose to be in your life.

To help you celebrate, I made this pretty watercolor calligraphy printable for you. Simply print this out on thick card stock, crop at the trim marks, and write a message to your gal pals on the back.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/12/free-galentines-day-cards-printable/feed/0Watercolor Calligraphy Workshop With A Fabulous Fete!http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/03/watercolor-calligraphy-workshop-with-a-fabulous-fete/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/03/watercolor-calligraphy-workshop-with-a-fabulous-fete/#commentsTue, 03 Feb 2015 14:00:23 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3131Hi Friends! As you know, I’ve been trying to break into watercolor lettering. I think it’s so beautiful and watercolor is a lot more forgiving than pointed pen calligraphy. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to work a brush! I feel like my writing is so sloppy and ugly in […]

As you know, I’ve been trying to break into watercolor lettering. I think it’s so beautiful and watercolor is a lot more forgiving than pointed pen calligraphy. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to work a brush! I feel like my writing is so sloppy and ugly in it. I didn’t know if it was my technique or my tools. Whatever it was, I needed more practice.

My friend A recognized my frustrations and thought of me when she heard about a watercolor calligraphy workshop not far from my new home. What a coincidence – it was being taught by Lauren Saylor of A Fabulous Fete! I was already a big fan of Lauren’s work. Her watercolor calligraphy is gorgeous and so unique.

The workshop held at Great Over Good, a collaborative workspace for creatives. Welcome home, Michelle. Naadine, the owner and creative director of Great Over Good, did such a great job decorating. It’s pretty much how I would have decorated – lanterns and tassels? I dig her style.

After a fun little meet and greet where I bonded with other DC area transplants over our stories, we took our seats and I loved that we all had custom place cards! (Fun fact: Cam Van is my Vietnamese name!)

Everyone got a pad of watercolor paper, tubes of watercolor, a portable watercolor palette, brushes, a mixing tray, lettering guides, and a list of resources.

Lauren did a great job of breaking down each item and why one tool would work better than the other in different circumstances. I already felt like I was starting to understand watercolor more. We then worked on how to use each brush and messed with different weights before we worked on each letter of the alphabet.

Here’s what I learned about myself: I still hate capital letters. I also dislike writing in large letters. Even just writing words big with a pen or marker never looked good to me growing up, so doing it with a brush pen definitely didn’t feel any better! I think I like the natural size when you freely right. Anything larger just feels off. So I stuck with writing small letters with the smaller brush.

Once we all got the hang of it (or as close to it as we could!) we worked on writing a phrase on an art board. The suggestion was to write something for Valentine’s Day – either one of the phrases Lauren had posted on the wall or our own favorite quote. I decided to do what I always do for Valentine’s Day.

Treat yo self!

Even though I stuck with the smaller brush, I wrote the phrase in large letters, so I’m not in love with my print. But that’s okay. It’ll probably look better in a frame. The other ladies loved it and this is just a product of two hours of practicing. Remember how long it took me to finally get the hang of pointed pen calligraphy? ONE YEAR. So I know that as long as I keep practicing, my work will get really, really good!

I’m already obsessed with practicing at home, as you can see here.

Thank you to Lauren and Naadine for such a great workshop. I absolutely loved breaking down watercolor lettering and I especially enjoyed being in a room with other creative and inspiring women.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/02/03/watercolor-calligraphy-workshop-with-a-fabulous-fete/feed/9How to Make a Party in a Boxhttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/28/party-box/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/28/party-box/#commentsWed, 28 Jan 2015 18:57:56 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3116Hi Friends! I’ve often talked about how I want to make a party in a box for sale. I thought it would be so great to just make a fun kit so someone could throw an instant party – who cares what the occasion is? I never got around to it, however, recently I thought […]

I’ve often talked about how I want to make a party in a box for sale. I thought it would be so great to just make a fun kit so someone could throw an instant party – who cares what the occasion is?

I never got around to it, however, recently I thought it would be fun to mail my cousin some goodies for an upcoming small party. Just a little something to say “Hello” and “Hey, let’s party!”

I started with a box and decided it was a little too plain. I grabbed my beloved Sharpie pens in fun colors (gold, hot pink, and turquoise) and drew different patterns on each panel of the box.

I also threw in festive paper plates and cups from Cheeky! Cheeky is sold exclusively at Target and features fun designs to an otherwise boring paper plate. Even better? With each purchase, Cheeky will donate one meal through a partnership with Feeding America. I love products that have that “give back” aspect.

To jazz the package up even more, I threw in my new favorite thing – a miniature piñata! How can you not love a miniature rainbow donkey? I filled him with candy, so if you’re mailing this to someone, be advised this adds a lot of extra weight!

I finished the box off with “Happy Birthday” candles and some red striped paper straws. Viola!

I think this is a great way to help someone get a party started. You don’t have to supply everything for a party (let them add their own personalities) but it’s definitely a fun package to send!

If you’re curious, I bought everything at Target, so you can definitely add these to your shopping list and get it all in one place.

What would you put in a party box?

Note: I bought all of these items myself. I was not compensated by anyone to write this post.

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/28/party-box/feed/1Get Crafty! How to Make a Miniature Piñatahttp://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/23/diy-pinata/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/23/diy-pinata/#commentsFri, 23 Jan 2015 07:09:38 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3122Hi Friends! I’ve been extra craft this week now that I’m back at my friend’s house in San Diego, where everything I brought from Virginia is housed. I’ve been able to reach into my crafty box of tricks and take over her dining room with craft projects. What does that mean for you? I’ve got […]

I’ve been extra craft this week now that I’m back at my friend’s house in San Diego, where everything I brought from Virginia is housed. I’ve been able to reach into my crafty box of tricks and take over her dining room with craft projects. What does that mean for you? I’ve got a fresh new tutorial for you!

Meet, this wee zebra. Or is he still a donkey? No wait, he’s a ZONKEY! And he’s a miniature piñata!

When I was done making him, I squealed in delight. I mean, HOW CUTE is this guy?!?

All right, here’s what you need to make your own li’l fella. You can apply this to make any shape piñata, but I have a template for download to make this specific piñata. This may take up an hour to complete.

001. If you need a guide, download my piñata template and cut it out. Use it to trace onto soft cardboard. Cereal boxes work best but you can also use an old shoe box or regular cardboard. You will need to cut 2 cardboard pieces of the donkey.

002. Cut a few 1-2″ thick strips to connect both sides of the donkey together. It doesn’t need to be one long strip. I got by cutting multiple strips out of the leftover cereal box.

003. Using strong tape like packing tape or masking tape, join the edges of one donkey cutout to the strips of paper. Outline the whole donkey piece with the strips, leaving room for a flap, if you choose to fill it with candy later.

004. If you want to hang your piñata, cut 2 holes near the top and tie string on.

005. Now attach the second side of the donkey to the strips, taping all the way around. Now you’ve got your donkey structure!

006. Take your roll of streamers, take about 6″ of streamers at a time, folding it in half and cutting little fringes. You can do this with regular scissors but my awesome Martha Stewart fringe scissors made the job much easier. I wouldn’t buy them specifically for this project, but if you have it handy, use it! I also chose to use zebra striped streamers, which automatically made my donkey and zonkey.

007. Starting at the base of the piñata, glue or tape each strip to the bottom, and then start winding your way up. You can be a little haphazard with this. I actually found that when the lines were too straight, it didn’t look as fun.

And that’s it! Now you have an awesome tiny piñata!

Here’s Zonkey with his friend, Weedonkadonk. According to Target, he is an “Extra Mini Pinata.” “Extra Mini” – I love that!

I probably will use Zonkey for pure decorative purposes. He is too fun to beat with a stick. How will you use your mini piñata?

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/23/diy-pinata/feed/7Introducing… Instant Downloads on Etsy!http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/05/instant-download/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/05/instant-download/#commentsMon, 05 Jan 2015 04:06:32 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3102Hi friends! I’ve been working hard to provide more digital designs in my Etsy shop. While I continue to live out of boxes, it’s tough to manage packages while I bounce from place to place. The benefit that YOU get is that you can your orders faster! Now I have FOUR instant downloads which allow […]

I’ve been working hard to provide more digital designs in my Etsy shop. While I continue to live out of boxes, it’s tough to manage packages while I bounce from place to place. The benefit that YOU get is that you can your orders faster! Now I have FOUR instant downloads which allow you to immediately get a file to print yourself and they’re only five bucks each. This could help you save tons of money as well!

This phrase was one of the winners from a Facebook contest that I was hosting. I asked fans to tell me a phrase they’d love me to write and I would pick my two favorites. I liked this suggestion from Jenna because I felt it was very relevant in my current life phase. I’m still trying to picture the destination, so I’m going to enjoy the journey to get there.

This was another awesome winner from my Facebook contest. Courtney of WOD Snob submitted this phrase and I loved it because I think that we should focus less on the shape of our bodies equating to beauty, and think about strength. Whether it’s physically or mentally, strong is beautiful!

While my shop is not fully integrated with Instant Downloads yet, you can get the rest of my designs in digital form. Until I learn how to make editable PDFs, I’ll still make any changes you’d like for my other items such as wedding and social invitations.

I hope you enjoy my new shop features! Let me know if there’s a phrase you’d love to see, and soon I’ll offer the option for custom calligraphy requests!

]]>http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/05/instant-download/feed/1Happy New Year!http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/02/hny-2015/
http://www.heylovedesigns.com/2015/01/02/hny-2015/#commentsFri, 02 Jan 2015 05:18:52 +0000http://www.heylovedesigns.com/?p=3099Hi friends! No matter what your 2014 looked like, let’s all make a deal to make this year our best one yet. I feel cliche making resolutions, but it is fun to think about what goals you want to make, whether it’s for the year, the next few months, or even today. Here are some […]

No matter what your 2014 looked like, let’s all make a deal to make this year our best one yet. I feel cliche making resolutions, but it is fun to think about what goals you want to make, whether it’s for the year, the next few months, or even today.

Here are some things I’d like to accomplish in the near or far future: